The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner having an intake tube or hose connector rotatably coupled to an upper cover that covers an upper portion of a dust collection chamber.
FIGS. 15 and 16 of the accompanying drawings show a conventional vacuum cleaner having a cleaner housing 1 including an upper cover 2. An intake tube or hose 3 connected at one end to a suction nozzle (not shown) is fixed to a connector pipe 4 inserted in the upper cover 2 so as to be rotatable about an axis 5 normal to the upper cover 2. The connector pipe 4 has a joint end 6 joined to the hose 3.
When the hose 3 is pulled upwardly in the direction of the arrow A (FIG. 15) or the cleaner housing 1 is erected on a stairstep (FIG. 16) during use of the vacuum cleaner, the hose 3 is forcibly bent at the joint end 6 of the connector pipe 4. Repeated use of the vacuum cleaner in the position of FIG. 15 or 16 causes the hose 3 to be torn or cut off.
As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the hose 3 is bent substantially perpendicularly to the connector pipe 4, which itself has a substantially right-angled bend joined to the upper cover 2. Therefore, an air flow passing through the hose 3 and the connector pipe 4 is subjected to a substantial resistance that lowers the performance of the vacuum cleaner. Furthermore, dust drawn into the hose 3 tends to be deposited in these bent portions, resulting in the formation of dust clogs therein.
When a place such as a ceiling or shelf positioned upwardly of the vacuum cleaner is to be cleaned while the cleaner housing 1 is being placed as shown in FIG. 15, the substantially horizontal portion of the connector pipe 4 and the bent portion of the hose 3, which are collectively indicated by A, become an obstacle that reduces the upward reach of the hose 3. This may prevent the suction nozzle on the upper end of the hose 3 from reaching the ceiling or shelf desired to be cleaned. In order to allow the suction nozzle to reach the desired place, the length of the hose 3 has to be increased.
Moreover, while such an upper place is being cleaned, forces tending to pull the cleaner housing 1 upwardly are applied since the hose 3 leads via the sharp bend from the joint end 6 of the connector pipe 4. To avoid such upward forces, the user has to erect or lift the cleaner housing 1. Thus, the cleaning of such an upper place is quite laborious.